Hidden Google Assistant Settings You Might Want To Change On Your Pixel 7
Have you purchaseda Google Pixel 7and want to experience the best of Google Assistant? Tweaking a few settings will let you unlock the true potential of the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro. Both these devices run on Android 13, and with Google’s promise to provide major Android updates until 2025, the Pixel 7 will last you a long time. Although most major smartphone manufacturers use Android with their own custom UI skins, Google’s Pixel series rocks vanilla Android, the stock form of the operating system.
The California-based tech giant announcedGoogle Assistant during its I/O conference in May 2016. But the groundwork for the voice assistant was laid with Google Voice Search, which came out in 2011 as a new way to interact with smartphones via voice. In the following years, the company released Google Now. This digital assistant informed users about the weather, their schedule, and other helpful information in the form of cards, but it wasn’t conversational (perDigital Trends). The modern Google Assistant combines voice search and Google Now, and it sure makes life easier for many of us.
You’ve probably used Google Assistant by saying “Okay Google,” or “Hey Google,” but what if you could access the Assistant without repeating the phrase? How about changing the Assistant’s voice? Keep your Pixel 7 handy and follow along to make your Google assistant smarter and better.
Change Google Assistant’s voice and enable Continued Conversation
Yes, you can change theGoogle Assistant’s voice. By default, Google Assistant uses a female voice. To change it, follow the steps given below.
Another setting that can save you from saying “Hey Google” multiple times is Continued Conversation. Once you enable it, you cankeep talking to the Google Assistantwithout repeatedly waking it up. So, if you like to ask follow-up questions or want to have a nice conversation with the virtual assistant, activateContinued Conversationby following the steps given below. It works with smart displays and speakers as well.
Get things done without saying Hey Google
Google voice detection has improved over time. In the early days, Google Assistant would frequently miss users speaking the activation phrase, but the chances of that happening now are much smaller (unless you are in a noisy environment). But what if you feel awkward saying, “Okay Google,” every time you want Google Assistant to do something? EnterQuick Phrasesthat let you use the assistant without saying the phrase out loud and get the job done.
Another way to get things done without saying “Hey Google” is activating the power button shortcut for waking the Assistant. Repeat step 1 and selectHold Power for your Assistant. On the following screen, enableHold for Assistantand you’re good to go. Whether you want to check the weather or call someone, press and hold the power button to invoke Google Assistant and start speaking.
Set Routines for regular tasks
Suppose you are about to sleep and wish to set an alarm, check your phone’s battery, and enable do not disturb mode. You could ask Google Assistant to do each step for you, but that takes a while. For situations like this, Google Assitant has a feature called Routines. TheRoutines settingassigns multiple tasks to one voice command.
Set up Shortcuts and your default music player
TheGoogle Assistant also comes with app-based Shortcuts— voice commands that let you perform specific tasks. For instance, you may set an assistant shortcut for viewing your Instagram notifications, WhatsApp messages from a particular contact, taking a selfie from the camera, or adding new calendar events.
Last but not least, you can also set a default music streaming service for Google Assistant. In theAssistant Settingsmenu, select Music. The following screen will contain a list of music apps installed on your device along with other popular platforms. Select one by pressing the circular button toward the right, and that’s it. Knowing your preference, your Google Assistant will only search for music on the selected platform.
